Fans and media love to make predictions before the season begins, but most are off the rails by Halloween. It's difficult to project regression season over season because there are so many moving parts in the game of hockey.
There are a few teams who show real signs of erosion, and they are very likely to fall this year. Others have made risky roster bets and could fall despite being in a window of success. Still others are biting the bullet and looking at a rebuild.
Fair warning: Predicting regression is a dangerous game. Although many of these teams are going to post poorer records this coming season, this list also contains teams who will surprise in a good way.